Chapter 32: Chapter 31

In my past life, acting was something I *had* to do.

I performed for the people who had given me life, who said that just not abandoning me was fulfilling their duty as parents.

But, in an unspoken way, I had been grateful, because they smiled at me. Those who usually only looked at me with cold or disdainful gazes smiled at me for the first time.

Now, with everything so different, I know how wrong it all was. I realize those smiles weren’t the kind I’d truly wanted.

Still, the memory of craving their approval so desperately that I pushed my frail body to keep acting remains vivid. And though, deep down, I knew they weren’t giving me real love, the fool who hoped for it still lingers in my memory, convinced I might truly be loved someday.

So, drawing out memories best left forgotten, I began acting once more.

“...And the winner of the 8th Korean Film Awards, Best New Actress, goes to... Congratulations! Lee Ha-eun from *The Neighbor Uncle!*”

Less than a year later, I finally experienced the love I’d once longed for in my past life. People loved me for my acting. But still, feeling my own inadequacies, I studied alongside people who didn’t like me, all to improve my craft.

Now, acting is something I want to continue at all costs, something I must show my past self was worth doing for me, not just for others.

Since I began my journey as an actress, I’ve constantly strived to achieve a more ideal performance. So, after putting all of my effort into shooting this last scene of young Han Yoo-hwa…

“Senior Ha Yoon-sung… did I do… okay?”@@novelbin@@

For the first time, I felt it was okay to be a bit selfish, to hope that none of the people here, who all stood silently rather than smiling, saw this the way I had hoped they might.

“Hm, Ha-eun. Don’t you know better than anyone if you did well or not?”

Yoon-sung’s response, his gaze warm as he looked down at me, reassured me that all my efforts had borne fruit. He seemed to think Sung-ah would say exactly the same thing.

“I don’t know what task Sung-ah set for you, but after watching your performance, she’d pass you whether she wanted to or not.”

“Ah… thank you.”

Walking alongside Yoon-sung to review the final cut, I couldn’t shake my concern about the dirt stains I’d gotten on my costume during the fall.

“…I’m sorry. You told me not to fall.”

As soon as I confirmed there were no major issues with the final footage, I went directly to the costume manager, bowing my head and apologizing. The staff member immediately waved her hands and assured me it wasn’t necessary.

“Oh, no, Ha-eun. I only meant that I hoped you’d be careful, in case falling before the scene delayed shooting.”

She added a remark about how impressive my performance had been, which made me express my gratitude once more before heading to the wardrobe to change back into my own clothes.

After rejoining my manager Joo Jung-yoon, who had been waiting in the car with the heater on, I stretched out the seat and, unlike usual, chose not to pore over the script on the way home.

“Jung-yoon, I’m just going to rest a little… Please wake me when we arrive.”

Then, surrendering to the flood of drowsiness, I closed my eyes without resistance.

It was the first time I had pushed myself so hard in a scene that I drained every bit of strength I’d built up over time. Although the aftereffects of acting lingered for much longer than usual, I felt lighter than ever.

---

With about two weeks until the premiere of *My Love From the Stars,* PD Hwang Min-soo found himself once again second-guessing as he reviewed the footage before an upcoming meeting.

To be clear, there was nothing wrong with the footage. Every take was flawless; not a single scene looked like it needed reshooting or came across as awkward.

But, if anything, it was the perfection of the footage that had PD Hwang deliberating on how best to use it.

The primary concern on PD Hwang’s mind was the teaser for the drama—the equivalent of a movie trailer. How to design the teaser to elevate anticipation was his biggest worry.

*My Love From the Stars* was a major project for UBS, the network, and it was slated to air after *The Heirs,* a drama with high ratings that had recently concluded. The higher-ups had their eyes on it.

Thus, the teaser needed not only to capture viewers’ attention but also to impress UBS’s executives.

“What do you think, Director Song?”

“I don’t think any of the concepts we’re considering would be lacking in any way. But for a stronger twist, Option B seems best.”

“True, no one will expect young Han Yoo-hwa to meet her end that way. I agree that Option B would be best if we want to make the most of Ha-eun’s ‘performance.’”

As the meeting proceeded, the conversation continued about the teaser. Ultimately, they decided on a different approach than initially planned.

The main focus would remain on the two lead actors, Ha Yoon-sung and Yoo Sung-ah. After all, *My Love From the Stars* had been a hot topic from the start due to these two celebrated stars’ involvement.

Technically, Ha-eun’s name had appeared in articles as well, in connection with her role as young Han Yoo-hwa, though it hadn’t garnered as much attention as the main stars.

But from what PD Hwang had seen in Ha-eun’s recent footage, her performance was striking enough to capture people’s attention. So they decided to include a brief glimpse of her as a hidden card in the teaser, something that hinted at an unexpected twist.

“People say young actors can be intense these days, but Ha-eun seems a few steps beyond even that.”

“And thank goodness for that. From our perspective, it’s all to our advantage, isn’t it?”

“True enough.”

At this point, Ha-eun was receiving only moderate attention, mostly as an addition to the impressive lineup of stars Yoon-sung and Sung-ah. People generally assumed that, like most child actors in past dramas, she wouldn’t play an exceptionally prominent role alongside such top-tier leads.

Moreover, viewers usually have a subconscious belief that the main character will survive any crisis, no matter what. If Ha-eun’s portrayal of young Han Yoo-hwa could shatter that expectation, demonstrating a powerful performance unlike any typical child actor…

“A new star is about to be born.”

“Indeed.”

The impact of that moment would be undeniable. Of course, the teaser, being only a minute long, wouldn’t be able to convey everything, but it would give a hint that something truly significant was coming.

After all, a teaser is only a teaser. The real focus would always be on the drama itself.

The plan was to build the initial hype with Ha Yoon-sung and Yoo Sung-ah’s performances in the first episode. Then, starting from the second episode, Ha-eun’s outstanding portrayal would begin to captivate the audience further.

“Whatever happens, whatever sounds you hear, don’t look back. Just keep going.”

By the time the backstory reached its climax in Episode 5, Ha-eun’s heart-wrenching performance…

“You know, Mister? I’m going to become a star. So high and bright that no one can look down on me.”

...and her ability to embody a younger Sung-ah would give viewers yet another reason to keep watching *My Love From the Stars.*

*...It would be strange if this didn’t succeed.*

With the accumulated tension between the two lead characters unfolding in full force, this would give viewers all the more reason to tune in, cementing *My Love From the Stars* as a must-watch drama.